Hand lamp



Sept; E2, 1933 a. .F. MULQQN 1,92 1% HAND LAMP Filed 001;. 22, 1929 INVENTOR fiWywe/M ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNlT-ED STATES PATENT OFFIQE HAND LAMP Bernard F. Muldoon,

Mountainview, N. J.

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a battery hand lamp that may be carried in the pocket without danger of being inadvertently lighted, and which can be easily lighted, when desired, with one hand. The

device comprises a casing open at one end and a hinged cover for closing the casing, and it is also provided with a lamp bulb that can be swung or moved into positions for the lamp to be lighted or extinguished.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through an illustrative embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1. g

In the drawing, reference character 1 indicates a battery casing, which is preferably oval in cross section. The casing 1 may be made of stiff insulating material, such as bakelite, for example. 20 Two cells 2 and 3 are mounted side by side in the casing 1 and the positive terminal of one is connected to the negative terminal of the other one at the bottom by means of the strap 4. The cells may be separated from each other and from the casing by means of insulating material 5. Reference character 6 indicates one pole of the battery and reference character '7 indicates the other pole thereof. The pole 7 projects some distance above the upper end of the cells.

A recess 8 is provided along the inside of the upper end of the casing 1, leaving a shoulder 9 at the lower end of the recess. A hollow removable metallic insert 10 is provided to fit in the recess 8 and the lower portion thereof extends to the shoulder 9. A hole 11 is provided at one edge of the casing 1 near the upper end thereof and a slot 12 is provided at the other edge of the casing 1, this slot extending from the upper end of the casing downwardly nearly to the shoulder 9. A hole 11' is provided in the insert 10 in alignment with the hole 11 in the casing. A hole 13 is provided in the insert 10 some distance below its upper edge in alignment with the lower portion of the slot 12 when the insert 10 is in place.

A resilient contact strip 14 is attached to an inwardly projecting rim 10' at the lower portion of the insert 10 by means of a rivet 15. The contact strip 14 has a curved end to contact with the battery terminal 6, and the portion of the strip 14 beyond the rivet 15 extends upwardly along the inside wall of the insert 10 and is provided with a struck out tongue 16 to pass through the hole 11' and snap into the hole 11 when the insert is put in place in the casing 1.

The tongue 16 may be released from the hole 11 by pressing same inwardly with a suitable instrument since the strip 14 is resilient and is attached only at the rivet 15.

A cross pin 17 extends across the insert 10 at one side of its center a short distance from its upper edge and an elongated lid or cover 18 concave on one side and convex on the other side with curved side walls for the insert 10 is pivoted on the cross pin 1'7 by means of side extensions 19 that are provided with holes through which the cross pin 17 extends. A flexible extension 20 is provided at the lower end of the lid or cover 18 and extends approximately at right angles to the main body portion of this cover. A rounded projection or button 21 is provided on the extension 20 for a purpose to be described.

A U-shaped spring 22, having its curved portion lying on the flange 10 behind the rivet 15, has its side portions or legs each turned or looped around the cross pin 17, as shown at 23. The ends of the spring 22 that extend beyond the cross pin 17 are clamped between a metallic cross strip 24 and a strip of stiff insulating material 25. The strips 24 and 25 are clamped together near the middle of the strip 24 by means of the rivet 26. The upper ends of the spring 22 may be slightly bent over the upper edge of the strip 24. The insulating strip 25 is wide enough to permit its edges to contact with the curved side walls of the cover 18 and leave a space between its intermediate portion and this cover to ac-- commodate the end of the rivet 26, without danger of this rivet contacting with the cover 18.

An approximately U-shaped holder 27 for a lamp bulb is also firmly secured to the cross strip 24 and the insulating strip 25 by means of the rivet 26. The side portions or legs of the U-shaped holder 27 may be curved and provided with threads 27' near their outer ends for convenience in screwing the screw socket of a lamp bulb 28 into place, so that its center contact may extend beyond the lower edges of the holder 27.

A strip of insulating material 29 is provided in proximity to the lower side of the extension 20. A U-shaped contact member 30, having one of its legs contacting with the center terminal 31 of the lamp bulb 28 and its other leg in position to have the end thereofcontact with the battery terminal 7, as shown at 32, is attached by means of a rivet 33 to the lower end of the insulating strip 25 with the up-turned end of the insulating strip 29 clamped between the contact member 30 and the insulating strip 25.

The operation is as follows:

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lamp is lighted by current passing from the battery 6 through the contact 14, insert 10, cross pin 17, spring 22, strip 24, holder 27 through the lamp, thence through the contact member 30 to the other pole '7 of the battery. When the cover 18 is turned in a clock-wise direction, as shown in Fig. 1, it presses against the contact strip 25, causing the upper ends of the spring 22 beyond the pin 1'? to swing to the right and simultaneously causing contact at 32 to be broken, thus extinguishing the light. When the cover 18 has been turned asufllcient distance, the projection 21 snaps into the hole 13 and re tains the cover 18 in its closed position.

When the projection or'button 21 is pressed from the outside by the thumb of the user, it is released and the spring 22 opens the cover to the position shown in Fig. 1 and causes the bulb to be lighted. The inside curved surface of the cover 18 may serve as a reflector for the lamp.

When it is desired to remove the insert 10, this can be readily done by pressing the tongue 16 inwardly. to disengage from the hole 11 in the casing l, whereupon the insert carrying the spring 22, lamp, 28 and cover 18 can be removed and a fresh battery can be inserted. The insert 10 can then be replaced simply by pressing it into position in the recess8.

I claim:

1. In a hand lamp, acasing, a cover, a battery in said casing, a removable insert at one end of said casing, a resilient contact member connecting said insert with one pole of said battery, a cross pin in said insert upon which said cover is pivoted, a spring in said insert connected to said pin'independently ofsaicl cover, and a lamp bulb holder attached to said spring.

2. In a hand lamp, a casing, a battery in said casing, a removable insert at one end of the casing, a cross pin in said insert, a cover pivoted on said cross pin, a spring in said insert and carried thereby, and a metallic lamp bulb holder attached to said spring, said spring being connected to said pin independently of said cover.

3. In a'hand lamp, a casing, a battery in said casing, a removable insert atone end of said casing, a. pivoted cover for said insert,'a spring in said insert, an electric light bulb movable to operatingposition by said spring and'to inoperative position by saidcover, and an insulated contact member connected to said spring between the base of said bulb and one pole of said battery.

4. In a hand lamp, a casing, a battery in said casing, a removable insert at one end of said casing, a pivoted cover for said insert, said insert being provided with a hole, and an extension on said cover on the other side of said pivot from the main portion of said cover toenter said hole to hold. the cover in its closed position.

5. In a hand lamp, a pivoted cover, a spring, a lamp bulb mounted on said spring to be moved into operative and inoperative positions, a battery, means comprising a U-shaped member movable with said lamp bulb to connect said lamp bulb to said battery in its operative position, and

' means tending to open said cover when said lamp cover, and a lamp bulb holder carried by said spring.

"I. In a hand lamp, a casing, a battery in said casing, a metallic insert for said casing, a cover for said oasinga transverse pivot in said insert for said cover, said cover having an extension with a projection thereon adapted to snap into a hole in said insert, a spring tending to open said cover, a lamp bulb holder carried by said spring, and a resilient contact member carried by said spring and adapted to contact with a terminal of said battery.

8. In a hand lamp, a casing, a battery in said casing, aremovable insert at one end of said casing, a pivoted cover for said insert, a spring in said insert and carried thereby, a cross pin in said insert to which said spring is. connected inter- (1'15 mediate its ends, and-a lamp bulb holder connected to said spring a short distance from said pin.

9. In ahand lamp, a casing, a battery in said casing, a removable insert at one end of said casing, a pivotedcover for said insert, a spring in said insertand carried thereby, an electric light bulb carried'by said spring and movable to operating position by said spring and to inoperative position by said cover, and a contact member between the base of said bulb and one pole of said battery.

BERNARD F. MULDOON. 

